Service Hold

Service hold is a tennis game won by a server. If you want to win matches, you’re going to have to hold your service the majority of the time regardless of your game style. Most sets come down to just one break, so if you have a problem holding your service you may need some guidance.

Holding service comes down to a lot more than making a big service somewhere in the box. Of course this helps, but as you play against stronger opponents your service games will need to be more methodical than that.

First, in order to hold service more often, you simply must improve your serve. Work on your first serve percentage, accuracy, and action on the ball to give your opponents less opportunity to attack.

Second, learn to incorporate variety. Like a pitcher in baseball, your goal is to keep your opponent guessing where the next service may come.

Third, learn how to play your service games to your strengths. All of the top players have a different style that works for them, so master the patterns that suit your game and play on your terms.

Finally, develop the ability to read the match and adapt accordingly. Assessing what your opponent does well and what they don’t will help you to structure points. By learning to do these 4 things, you will feel more comfortable in service games and win them more often.

Improve The Service Itself

First thing is first. You need to improve your ability to hit each spot. What does that mean? Lots and lots of reps. Set up targets to hit serves at and see how precise you can be. You should be spending a lot of time on your service if you want to improve it. This is a shot that you can work on alone, so there is no excuse for neglecting this part of your practice routine. Get a basket of balls and some targets and go to work.

First Service Percentage

Increasing your first serve percentage is critical in holding your service more often. This will give your opponent less opportunity to attack weaker second serves. If you look at stats from a match, the player who has the higher first serve percentage and the higher percentage of first serve points won is typically the winner of the match.

Hitting Your Spots

The ability to consistently hit each spot on your service will help you to hold easier. If you continue to hit the same serves over and over again throughout a match, your opponent will be able to pick up on your tendencies and neutralize serves more easily. With that being said, it is important that you are comfortable hitting all of the serve spots. This way you will be confident mixing these serves in throughout your service games.

Work On Different Spins

As you become more consistent, you can work on hitting your spots with flat, slice, and kick serves. Your goal is to be able to hit any spot with any type of service. No matter how good your service is, you can always improve this. Touring pros are constantly working on this part of their game, so you should be too.

Incorporate Service Variety

What makes a great baseball pitcher isn’t necessarily their speed or velocity, but how well they are able to keep the batter on their heels by mixing up locations, speeds, and spins. This is exactly like serving in tennis.

So what can you do to work on that? Work on it in practice sets. As there is less consequence in practice, you should have no problem experimenting during this time. Hit your least comfortable serves on big points to gain confidence on them. Utilize all of your serves to work on getting each one better so that in a match, you can eventually hit any service at any given time.

Construct Games Around Your Strengths

Each player has different strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of if your service is one of them or not, you probably feel more comfortable hitting certain serves rather than others. Additionally, you can construct your service around shots that you do call strengths.

Use Your Best Serves When It Counts

Whether that’s a big flat wide or just a high percentage slice into the body, we all have serves that we rely on in the big moments. You probably know which service that is for you, but you need to know how to make sure it is most effective when it matters.

In order to make this service more effective, you should actually avoid using it on less meaningful points. Every point is important, but some are less important than others. On 30-0, 40-15, and 40-0 you can mix in different serves to give your favorite service more credibility when the time comes.

Develop Your Patterns

Players are able to use their go-to patterns in crucial situations. The best players know that if they execute this pattern to the best of its ability, it can’t be stopped. Because you will generally be able to be more aggressive in your service games, you should work to develop aggressive 2-3 ball patterns.

So what is the best way to create a pattern for you? Obviously you want to base your go-to patterns around your biggest strengths, and you know what they are for you. Is your serve strength? If so, what can you follow it up with? Maybe your serve isn’t strength, just something you can use to open up your big forehand inside out or your backhand up the line. You get the idea.

Create patterns that make sense. Service and first ball are important, but they have to go together. In other words, don’t expect a slow kick service to an opponent’s forehand to give you a short ball to come in on. Make sure that your serve and ideal first ball fit together.

Read the Match and Adapt

As a player, you have to be adaptable to what your opponent is doing. Sure, you can master your patterns as much as you want, but odds are you’re going to run into opponents that handle them well.

If you typically hit your kick service out wide and look for a short ball, that is great. But what happens if your opponent’s backhand return is much better? How about if they are left handed and you are playing their weapon? This is a great time to adapt, but it isn’t time to go away from your game style altogether. Try hitting the serve to a different spot to see if it generates the first ball you are looking for. This highlights why the ability to hit every serve spot is so important.

Stick with your game style until they stop working altogether. It is a common mistake to go away from your game style too early. Remember, most of the time you will give your best chance to win a match by sticking with what you do best.

Holding service is critical because most sets come down to just one break. By working on your serve, serve variety, serve patterns, and your ability to read and adapt to your opponent, you will be holding your service with ease in no time.